Improvement in water-filters



E. S. FARSON.

WATER-FILTER.

VNo 169 631 Patented Nov. 9, 1875.

N.PETERS. `PNOTDJJTMQGRAFrlEnI WASHINGTON. D C4 UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE ENOGH S. FARSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPRVOVEMENT IN WATER-FILTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,631, dated November 9, 1875; application filed April 26, 1875.

Toall whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, ENOGH S. FARSON, of

- the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Penn- F1gure l is a vertical diametrical section o `the improved ilter, ready for being placed upon any water-cooler, or other receptacle for the water which may be passing through said filter. Fig. 2 is a planview of the uuder side of the bottom plate of the receptacle into which the water to be ltered is placed. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, showing the interior of that portion-of Fig. 1 which is below an imaginary line cutting the respective centers of the series of small holes which are below the bottom plate of the receptacle into which the water to be ltered is placed.

lIhe filter is made ot' a cylindrical form, by preference,`and has a conical slip-cover, A, which fits loosely over the receptacle a for the water to be filtered, and a ange, B, at its bottom, which is intended to iit loosely into the mouth of an ordinary water-cooler, (not shown,) or into any suitable receiver of the water which may be passing from the filtering-chamber C through the dischargetube c' into said receiver, as indicated by the arrow l in Fig. l. The chamber Gis divided, by a vertical partition, into the central portion G and an annular surrounding portion, c, and the said tw portions communicate with each other through the series of small holes c, which are,punched outward from C. (See Fig. 3.) The bottom of chamber C has a concave-convex plate, c4, Iixed concentrically upon it,` so as to allow open spaces and perforations, 5 5, for the passage of the filtered water in o the space immediately below the plate c. The perforations 5 5 are punched from the concave or under side of c4, so as to give upturned edges on theconvex side, as indicated in Fig. 3, for the purpose of better preventing the passage ot' tough or iibrous matter through the said perforations, or choking them, so as to prevent the passage of the water. The outlet-tube c1 for the ltered water extends upward through the bottolnA of O to within a short distance of the under side of plate c4, and is soldered watertight to the bottom plate of C, and consequently the filtered water must rise in the space around the tube c before it can pass through the latter to the receiver, (not shown,) thus preventing any sediment which possibly might, by long use of the iilter, become deposited on the bottom of C around the upwardprojecting part of said tube. A channel, b, of nearly a semicircular transverse section, is soldered in a water-tight manner fast to the inner side of the wall of the filter, and also to the bottom plate of the same, (see Figs. l and 3,) and communicates with the annular space c" through a series of small holes, 7, near the bottom of C, and its open upper end communicates with the chamber a through a tube, 8, which projects downward-into it, and also upward a little above the bottom of a. (See Figs,1 and 2.) The lower end of the channel communicates with a stop-cock, D, which is kept closed during the operation ofltering, and opened only during the operation of cleansing the lter, as will be explained. The bottom of the filter is soldered in a water-tight manner entirely around its connection with the outer wall thereof', and also entirely around its connection with the bottom edge of the partition which separates the Vannular space c from the central space -or chamber G, in order that water may be eii'ectually prevented from passing either to the other of said spaces G c, except through the ring of holes c in the upper part oi' the partition which separates the two said cham-` bers. A large tube, E, which is open at both ends, is soldered water-tight in a correspond- Y ing hole through the center of the bottom of chamber a', so as to extend perpendicularly upward above the top edge of said chamber nearly into contact with the highest part of the conical lid A, and so as to cause the lower the connecting partsA perfectly secure.

end of` said tube E to communicate With a shallow space, c', which is produced between the-bottomof' a and a flanged and perforated plate or disk, e, soldered fast to the under side of the said bottom of' a', substantially asy indicated in Fig. l.

The object ofthe elevated tube E, arranged as described, is twofold-first, to afford the pressure of a column of water in the same during the operation of' washing or cleansing the filter, and, second, to allow the air to escape as the water to be filtered first rises in c, as will be described.

In proceeding to pack the ltering materials and to permanently inclose the same, I` withdraw the bottom of chamber a', withfits ixed attachments E, c, and 8, and then pack. into the central chamber C sucient .coarse gravel to just cover, by'a horizontal 1 ylayer of the same, the perf'orated plate c4, as indicated by the dotted line QJ,- and upon this layer I pack a layer of ner, or of coarse and fine gravel mixed, upv to the dotted line w,

and upon this a layer of' sand up to the dotted line x; then upon thisa layer of' ground charjcoal up to the dotted line y, packing the charcoal down firmly; and then, upon the charcoal layer, I pack a layer of coarse gravel up f to the top edge of' the partition which sepay.rates O from 0. I now pack into the annular space c a sufficient quantity of coarse gravel '5to halfiill it, and then fill the said space with liner or mixed gravel. I now replace the` bottom plate of' the chamber a', with its attachments E, e,'and 8, and hold' the same virmly'down4 upon the partition which is be- 1tween O c, and also upon the gravel, and Vcarefully solder or bolt the said bottom plate fast to the surrounding wall of' the filter, in such a manner as to make the whole circle of The lter, being thus completed for use, as described, may be. inserted in the mouth of' an ordinary water-cooler, so as to rest upon its bottom, with its pipe c projecting down into the said Watercooler, or into whatever re- ',ceiver of the filtered water may be desirable Yor convenient.

The watervto be filtered is filled into the chamber a', and from this it will gradually pass down through the tube 8 into the channel b; thence horizontally through the series of small holes 7 in the lo wer part of the latter Y into the lower portion of the annular chamber c, spreading around through the lower stratum of coarse gravel, and upward through the lfiner or mixed stratum of gravel above 5 thence through the horizontal series or ring of holes c into the top layer of the coarse gravel in C, (driving the air out through E,) and thence through the thick stratum of charcoal 'and the succeeding layers of sand, and of Afine and coarse gravel, successively, to the vperforated plate c4,- thence through the perforations into the shallow space below them, from which it will overflow. the tube c',

and enter the receiver in a perfectly clear and bright condition, or free from any obscuring impurities, the air in the filtering-chambers escaping in the meantime out through the large tube E to the open air, as before stated.

1n the cleansing or washing out the remnants of the water, or its sediment retained by the gravel strata, the lid A is to be lifted oif and the stop-cock D opened. Then water is to be poured into the tube E continuously, so as to keep it full and afford the pressure of a column equal to the height of said tube, as near as may be, and consequently the said water will continue to pass rapidly down through the perforated plate e, and, spreading over the top surface of the charcoal layer, pass horizontally through the top layer'of coarse gravel to and through the ring of holes c into the gravel-packed annular chamber c, and down through the gravel therein, and-thence along on an annular bottom ofthe chamber to and through the holes 7, and across the lower end of the channel 6, and, finally, out through the open cock D, and thus in a minute or two washing out all the sediment which may have been left by the filtered water in the receiver.

The operation of cleansing or washing out the sediment or other impurities left during a days filtering of' water should be performed every morning just before putting the filter in operation for purifying water, and then the cock closed, the water to be'ltered poured into the chamber a', the lid placed upon the latter, and the filter placed in position upon the receiver or water-cooler to operate.

It will be readily understood without further explanation that by means of mysaid improvement in filters, operated as described, the most turbid or feculent and offensivelysmelling water, as well assuch water as may contain the least perceptible of either of` such objectionable qualities, will be entirely removed and a brilliantly-clear water be obtained; and, moreover,it will be seen that the arrangement of' the pressurepipe E and outlet-cock D in relation to the course for the washing-water will serve the purpose in-v tended with facility and perfection, and that a removal of the old and substitution of new packing materials will not be required until after several years of constant use of the filter, as described.

I claim as my invention-f l.. The combination, in a water-filter, substantially as described, of the water receptacle or chamber a! and its tube 8, with the channel 6, having the series of small holes 7, the annular chamber c, and central chamber (l, packed with'lterin g materials, and communieating with each other through the series of small holes 0 at their upper ends, the perforated plate c4,`and the outlet-tube c', the said parts being arranged to operate in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, in a waterelter, substantially as described, of the tube and perchannel 6, and the outlet-cock D, the said forated disk e",'with the opening in the bottom of the chamber a', and the space e between said bottom and said disk e, the layer of gravel between the said bottom of a and the charcoal layer, upon which said gravel layer rests, the perforations 0', the annular chamber c, packed With gravel, as described, the series of holes 7 in the lower part of the parts being arranged to operate together substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore s et forth and described.

3. The arrangement of the upper surface of the layer of charcoal in chamber C, substantially in the same horizontal plane with the lower edges of the perforations c, as indicated by the dotted line y in Fig. 1, for the Vpurpose of causing the Wash-water coming from the tube E to pass horizontally to and through the said perforations 0 to the annular chamber c", substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.

ENOGH S. FARSON.

Witnesses: l

BENJ. MoRIsoN,

WM. H. MomsoN. 

